Colombia will look to end the current generation’s cycle in style.
La Tricolor conquered every football fan’s heart in 2014 with their World Cup run ending against hosts Brazil in the quarter finals.
James Rodriguez led the team, ended the tournament as top goalscorer (6) and won the Puskas award later for his incredible effort against Uruguay.
Can Colombia repeat or surpass the 2014 World Cup run in 2026?
At 34 years of age, James is nowhere near what he once was. The No.10 doesn’t get past defenders – or even take them on – too often and has lost most of his speed. But the technical part of his game is very much alive.
Not to mention that his work rate elevates mightily when play for his national team. That was actually cause for concern at many of his recent teams – the contrast of his effort for club and country is noticeable.
But manager Nestor Lorenzo seems to know just the way to get the most out of his playmaker and leader. James is their attacking-midfielder but mainly operates from the sides and half-spaces. The idea is to get him in good situations to whip in dangerous crosses into the box.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
That’s how he had nearly twice as many assists as any other South-American player in the CONMEBOL Qualifiers (7 – with two players tied in 2nd place with four). And over double the amount of big chances created in the tournament (13, followed by Lionel Messi’s six).
While their 2014 squad had Juan Cuadrado to add pace and skill on the wings, the 2026 side has an equally dangerous winger – but with more of a knack for goalscoring: Luis Diaz.
Only Messi (8) scored more goals than the Bayern Munich forward in the qualifiers (7). He also chipped in with three assists and had a lot of freedom to cut inside and attack the box instead of just holding width and hugging the touchline.
Add to that the work rate of Jefferson Lerma and Richard Rios – who also has the flair – in midfield, and they have a highly balanced team. Full-backs are also high energy, featuring Crystal Palace man Daniel Munoz on the right and usually Johan Mojica on the left.
Davinson Sanchez and Jhon Lucumi provide great physical presence and solidity at the back. It’s not a world-beating squad that should contend for the trophy, but could be enough to make some noise and have another fun deep run.
Colombia have been Argentina’s main competitors recently. With Brazil’s decline over the past two or three years, they have surged as the toughest team the current champions have faced.
Both of them faced off in a great 2024 Copa America final that Lautaro Martinez won with a late goal in extra time.
Other players who have had famous appearances in European football, such as goalkeeper David Ospina and right-back Santiago Arias have also been part of the Tricolor’s journey heading into the 2026 World Cup.
The more veteran players are certainly looking at the final part of their careers and will leave gaps to be filled by the younger generation.
But they do have some interesting attacking talent coming up. Girona’s Yaser Asprilla (22), Atletico Nacional’s Marino Hinestroza (23) and Vasco’s Andres Gomez (23) could very well feature in European leagues in the near future.
Rios has also been a Manchester United target before and looks to be rounding his game up nicely at Benfica to take on more responsibility and be the team’s focal point. His well-rounded traits and overall play style actually favour that, so they could be in good hands.
But the raw talent of the likes of James Rodriguez and Luis Diaz will be hard to replace. This could serve as fuel for them to deliver everything they have next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
They actually had their best finish to a CONMEBOL Qualifiers edition since 2014, finishing 2nd since Brazil would host the event and were automatically qualified.
Nestor Lorenzo’s men were third this time, behind only Ecuador and Argentina. They will meet Portugal, Uzbekistan and one of RD Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia in Group K.